Have you ever wondered what your walls would tell you if only they could talk? Toronto Star journalist Lesley Ciarula Taylor gets the walls to talk by finding the historical records that give voice to those four walls. She shares the resources in her informative booklet, The History of Your Home.

Taylor became intrigued with her Toronto home when she moved to the city and saw it for the first time in 1982. It was a magical moment and she felt like the year was 1882. She takes us on her journey to uncover the history and previous occupants of her home, near Bathurst and King Sts., and imparts the research lessons she learned.

As a journalist, Taylor was aware of the wealth of information to be gained from city directories, and Torontonians are very fortunate that our’s start in 1834. Directories list the name and occupation of the “head of the household” (usually male, although women appear when widowed or single) at a given address and others who may also have lived in the home. A separate section cross-references every address with the names of the head of the household. As telephone numbers became common, they were also listed.

City directories filled in some of the blanks for Taylor’s home and then she discovered a new world of tax assessment rolls (which gave her information about the owners of the house, not necessarily the inhabitants), land records, census data, fire insurance plans, aerial photographs, and more. And all of this was done without benefit of the Internet.

Her sleuthing took her to archives, libraries and genealogical societies. The Internet is now a helpful component in her search and relevant sites are listed in the booklet.

Although Taylor was researching her Toronto home, the information and resources are relevant for anyone in Ontario and she discusses quirks in other municipalities.

If you’re ready to listen to your walls, this booklet will teach them how to speak.

Peggy Mackenzie is a Toronto Star librarian addicted to home, decor and gardening books. Contact her with book review requests at pmackenzie@thestar.ca.

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